For the last 16 years, men’s elite tennis has been dominated by four players: Rafa Nadal, Roger Federer, Novak Djokovic, and Andy Murray. The quartet has thrilled fans around the world during that time, notching up 97 Grand Slam finals appearances and 62 Grand Slam trophies between them. Their superiority in their sport earned them the collective nickname of the “Big Four.”

This year, only three of the four featured at the Wimbledon Championship following the withdrawal of Rafa Nadal, and only Djokovic and Federer were amongst the favourites in the 2021 men’s Wimbledon betting odds as Andy Murray arrived well short of match fitness.

There was a time when the quartet featured annually at the event, but it has now been four years (2017) since they all appeared on the grass at SW19 in the same year. Federer claimed his eighth crown that year and his 19th Grand Slam title overall. But could it be that we will never see all four compete at the West London tournament in the same year again?

Roger Federer

All four players are now well in their 30s with Federer turning 40 in August. After exiting this year’s tournament at the quarter-final stage, the Swiss player admitted he would like to play at Wimbledon again but also stated: “At my age you never know what is around the corner.” Federer has been limiting his event appearances after twice undergoing knee surgery in 2020 and is taking things one step at a time. Meanwhile, Federer has appeared in all of the last 22 Wimbledon Championships.

Andy Murray

Andy Murray also cast doubt on his Wimbledon future after losing this year’s third-round match against Denis Shapovalov in straight sets. The British player admitted that he was not happy with his performance and that he would have to assess whether his tough training regime will be enough to get him back to the level he wants. The Brit is due to appear at the Olympics where he is aiming for a third gold medal and may then turn his attention to the BNP Paribas Open, which is being held in the Autumn for the first time. If he can get enough time on the courts and remain injury-free, you would expect him to put Wimbledon 2022 in his sights.

Rafa Nadal

Rafa Nadal took the decision to withdraw from this year’s Wimbledon Championships shortly after losing to Novak Djokovic in the semi-finals of this year’s French Open. The Spaniard was aiming for his 13th title at Roland Garros and had won the previous four editions in a row.

The 35-year-old explained that he wanted to prolong his career as long as possible and needed to give his body time to recover. His statement indicated that he would continue to target majors in the future, raising the prospect of a Wimbledon return in 2022.

Novak Djokovic

Novak Djokovic hasn’t missed the London Grand Slam since he first appeared in 2005. The 34-year-old is currently in the best shape of the four and the most likely to compete for the title in 2022. He is also seeking to surpass Nadal and Federer’s record of 20 Grand Slams apiece.

There are plenty of reasons to think we could have seen the last of the big four at Wimbledon. But tennis fans all over the world will be hoping that all four can remain fit and will return to the famous grass courts for at least one more epic showdown.